Vaccines for Pregnant Women in High-Risk Situations

Most pregnant women need only two vaccines during pregnancy: a flu vaccine and a tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine for protection against whooping cough. But if you're at risk for illness because of your job, travel or a pre-existing condition, talk to your practitioner about getting additional shots.

Ideally, the only sickness a mom-to-be should face is morning sickness — and only the mildest kind. But because pregnancy weakens your immune system, you’re at greater risk of catching all sorts of stuff, from cold viruses to harmful bacteria. And when you do come down with an illness, you’re likely to get sicker, which can make you (and your baby) more vulnerable to serious complications.

To play it safe, do everything in your power to boost your immune system, from eating fruits and veggies to fitting in fitness to getting adequate sleep. You also need to talk to your practitioner about the vaccinations you need, especially if you travel outside the country, work in health care or a lab, or have a pre-existing condition that makes you more vulnerable to infections. If you fall into any of these categories, check with your doctor to see if you need the following immunizations:

Hepatitis A vaccine. If you have chronic liver disease or work in a lab where you’d be exposed to the hepatitis A virus, you may need this vaccination. Your doctor may also decide to give you the shot if you’re traveling to a place where there’s an increased risk of contracting the disease, including Mexico, Eastern Europe, and Central or South America.

Hepatitis B vaccine. If you work in a hospital or clinic where you might be exposed to body fluids and blood, your doctor may recommend this vaccine, given as a series of three shots. You should also be vaccinated if your partner or someone else in your house has the disease. Many women who have hepatitis B don’t even know it. Should you discover you’re infected, your newborn should be treated as soon as possible after birth.

Meningococcal vaccine. This vaccine protects against bacterial meningitis. If you have a damaged or enlarged spleen, live in close quarters with others (like a military barracks), have certain immune disorders, or are traveling to sub-Saharan Africa or the Mideast, your doctor may recommend this shot.

More About Work, Health and Pregnancy

How Getting the Tdap Vaccine During Pregnancy Protects Both You and Your Baby

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13). The PCV13 vaccine protects people from pneumonia, meningitis, and bacteremia (bacteria in the blood). Experts believe the vaccine is safe for pregnant women, but there’s been very little research done on it. Talk to your doctor if you have cardiovascular disease, lung disease, or another chronic condition that puts you at risk for complications from pneumonia.

Note: The pneumococcal vaccine isn’t the only one with a question mark — there are other immunizations for which research on the effects on pregnant women isn't complete. Thankfully, most of the diseases these vaccines protect against — such as Japanese encephalitis, typhoid, smallpox and yellow fever — are rare in the U.S. and Canada. If you’re traveling to other countries where there’s a risk of getting these diseases, talk to your health care provider. Together, you can decide if the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the unknowns.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting. Health information on this site is based on peer-reviewed medical journals and highly respected health organizations and institutions including ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), as well as the What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff.

View Sources

Medically reviewed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 2018.